10 Musicians That Rock At Doing Business

Rock and roll musicians widely have reputations for being loud, rowdy, carefree party animals that love to destroy hotel furniture and spend the occasional night or two in jail. But many of the biggest rockers have also been able to party hard and run a successful business at the same time. Here’s our top 10 list of rock and rollers that own more than a guitar.

1) Sammy Hagar (Van Halen) – Years of extensive partying turned Hagar into one of the world’s foremost experts in drinking tequila and “running with the devil.” His multimillion dollar tequila brand Cabo Wabo is an award-winning spirit that is found on the top shelf of most clubs and bars.

2) B.B. King – One of the greatest blues musicians in history, King opened the first of his line of clubs called B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill on Memphis’ famous Beale Street, the same area where he spent endless nights playing in hot, crowded, smoke-filled bars before becoming a music legend.

3) Bono & The Edge (U2) - Most rock and roll musicians know how to trash hotel rooms. But Irish rockers Bono and The Edge have matured since the 1980s, and now they prefer mints on the pillows and real art on the walls, which they offer to customers that stay at their jointly-owned Dublin luxury accommodation, The Clarence Hotel.

4) Alice Cooper - Would you eat the “Megadeth” Meatloaf if the opportunity arose? If you’re a Megadeth fan, Chef Cooper is ready to serve you. When the original shock-rocker isn’t on stage, customers might catch a glimpse of him serving up heavy metal- and pop culture-inspired plates at his popular Phoenix restaurant, Alice Cooperstown.

5) Paul McCartney – A music industry icon, McCartney continues to influence scores of amateur musicians generation after generation. He also knows a thing or two about business, which is evident by his multimillion dollar company, MPL Music Publishing. Currently, McCartney holds the rights to more than 25,000 songs, making him the owner of one of the largest privately-owned music publishing companies.

6) Andrew W.K. - Probably having been tossed out of every Manhattan club for playing too loud, the hard rocker known for adrenaline-kickin’ party anthems (and never changing his clothes) opened up Santos Party House, which is one of the most popular dance club and nightlife scenes for young and trendy New Yorkers.

7) Joe Perry (Aerosmith, pictured) – Having survived four decades living the rock and roll lifestyle as one of the most recognizable lead guitarists, Perry understood that living on the edge also required an occasional adrenaline shot of hot sauce to the heart. Now he promotes his own line of sweet and scorching sauces, humbly named Joe Perry’s Rock Your World Hot Sauces.

8) Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle) - A popular progressive rock singer known for his ambiguous lyrics, Keenan knew that Napa Valley and Chesapeake Bay would be too predictable and pretentious, so he started Caduceus Cellars in the arid environment of Arizona. The documentary Blood Into Wine follows Keenan as he deals with the day-to-day tasks, desires, and expectations of starting a new business.

9) Travis Barker (Blink-182) - Barker is often remembered for bearing it all in the Blink-182 music video for What’s My Age Again? But he is also well-known in the skateboarding and fashion industry for telling everyone else to wear clothes in public, particularly his own brand, Famous Stars and Straps.

10) Joel & Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) - The brothers behind the pop alternative group Good Charlotte do everything together and with a lot of success, including recording platinum albums, touring and playing to sold-out crowds around the world, and somehow managing to find the time to run the popular clothing and accessories company DCMA Collective.